A cobsobatioh of del aw abe



R.H.-CRAMER FEEDTNG MECHANISM Fiied Nov. 1v.A 1925 oct. u, 1927. www@ Patented @et ll, i927.

tiene orties..

RAYMOND H. ICBAMEBJ, OF NEWARK; NEW' JERSEY., ASSG'GR T0 GENERAL MOTORS FEEDNG' IVIECHNISB.

SLS L pipe, they the :teed pipe and it is a matter Y n. enter the use without frequent delays or continuity of the stream of particularly the case when 'i the articles is approximately or not much greater than, their An object olthe invention thereto provide improved mechanism i'or articles in a Another obs .,.o provide simple and eilicient mechan ot this character for rapidly Jfeeding articles endwise in a continuous and uninterrupted stream from a source of supply. To these ends and also toimprove generally upon devices of the characte indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a ycentral section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation and Figures 3 and 4 are perspectiveviews ot details. v

The numeral l() indicates a supporting bracket which may be bolted in any con venient location on or near a machine for treating the articles, such as a gauging machine` The upper end of the bracket is enlarged at l2 to provide a semi-cylindrical` opening n'lating with a similar' opening in a horizontal bracket 14. The two brackets are secured together by clamping bolts i6 which rigidly holda bushing 18 having a circular flange 2O resting on the top of the brackets. Screws secure the bushing to a long vertical sleeve 24 and to a short delivery tube section 26 which forms a portion o'l" the article guide through which articles pass from a hopper 28. The hopper is .herein shown conical with its side walls converging at a. bottom opening to allow the articles to feed downwardly by gravity. The hopper has a depending annular flange 30 by which it is secured by means oit screws 82 to the upper end ot' the long sleeve 24.

The short delivery tube section 26 is spaced away from the hopper and has a pair of opclosech by way of eXainple,'

are very likely to jam at the posite slots 34 cut in its upper end thereby leaving opposite side extensions 36. In axial alignment with the short tube section 26 is an upper movable tube section ot the same internal diameter and herein shown as made in two coniplementary, segmental sections 38 and wl ich slidably engage one another at opposite sides along the line 42. Sections 258 and 40 have depending spaced eX- tensions -fl-l and 465 respectively, arranged to enter the slots 34 when said sections are alternately moved to their lowermost positions. Extensions 36 the'n enter opposite slots 'termed by the spaced extensions 44 and 46. '.ihus an interitting connection is pro- VviQe-il between the upper and lower tubev sect' s which leaves a substantially continuous :le guide or tube, rllhe sections 38 and 40v are simultaneously slid in opposite directions within the sleeve 24 and their upper ends alternately enter the opening in the hopper to agitate thev articles. rlhe ends of the sections are rounded as indicated at 47 and an article A which gravitates to the position shown in Figure l is tilted by the oppositely moving sections into a position suchl that it ireely enters the article guide endwise. When one section is raised, the articles slide down over the upper edge of the other sectionand so on alternately. In some cases, the uppertube section may be made as a single integral tube but the illustrated form is more eiiicient in rocking the articles to a straight up and down position.

For reciprocating the upper tube section orl sections, the following mechanism is pro vided. Headed screws 48 pass through opposite slots 50 in the sleeve 24 and are fixed to the tube sections. Between the head of each screw and a spacing collar 52 guided in each slot is interposed an antitriction roller 54 arranged to bear against and form a follower tor a cam 56 on a cam member 58 which is rotatably mounted around the sleeve 24. rllhe cain is so formed that it raises one section while lowering the other. To prevent the sections from 'sticking in. a raised position, they are pulled downwardly by coil springs 60 attached to studs 62 on sleeve 24 and to. studs 64 on the sections, the last mentioned studs passing through guide slots 66 in sleeve 24. The cam member 58 is continuously rotated by a pulley 68 driven by a belt 70 which passes around idler pulleys 72v on bracket 14 to a source of power.

The delivery tube section 26 has an annular recess 74 in which a pipe 7 6 is set to conduct the articles to the desired point tor treatment.

Although the machine has been described by reference to a specific construction, it should be understood that the invention, in its broader aspects, is not necessarily limited to the form selected tor mere illustrative purposes.

I claim:

`l. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a delivery tube section spaced :trom the exit opening, a movable tube section of the same internal diameter as the delivery tube section and interposed between said delivery tube section and the hopper, and means for reciprocating said movable tube `section through the opening in the hopper to deliver articles therefrom; substantially7 as described.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side walls and an exit open-- ing, a delivery tube section spaced from said opening, a movable tube section in axial alignment with the delivery tube section` and having interlitting connection with the latter, said movable tube section extending through said opening, and means tor reciprocating said movable tube section to leed articles from the hopper; substantially as described.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a delivery tube section spaced irom said opening, a movable tube section in axial alignment With the delivery tube section,

said tube sections having extensions fitting slots in one another to present a substantially continuous guide for articles, and means for reciprocating said m vable tube sect-ion to feed articles from the hopper; substantially as described.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a plurality of segmental tube sections slidable through the opening in the hopper and forming an exit passage, and means for reciprocating said sections; substantially as described.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a pair of complementary tube sections slidably engaging one another and passing through the opening in the hopper, and means for moving the sections simultaneously in opposite directions; substantially as described.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit openK ing, adelivery tube section spaced from the exit opening, a plurality oli tube sections movable through the opening in the hopper, said movable tube sections having extensions in teriitting With the delivery tube section, and means for reciprocating the movable sections; substantially as described.

7. In apparatus of the character describetb a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a guide sleeve supporting the hopper, a tube section lixed to the guide sleeve, and a movable tube section slidable in the sleeve in alignn'icnt With the iixed tube section; substantially as described.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side Walls and an exit opening, a guide sleeve supporting the hopper, a tube section iii-:ed to the guide sleeve, a movable tube sc Ition slidable in the sleeve, a member rotatable around the guide sleeve, and actuating connections from the member to the movable tube section tc actuate the latter; substantially as described.

f). In apparatus of the character described, a hopper having side walls and an exit opening, a guide sleeve supporting the hopper, a tube section lured to the guide sleeve, a movable tube section slidable in the sleeve, a cam member rotatable around the guide sleeve, and a follower engaging said cam member and connected to the movable tube section to reciprocate the latter; substantially as de scribed.

l0. In agn'iaratus of the character described, a hopper having side walls and an exit opening, a. guide sleeve support-ing the hopper, a, tube section fixed to the guide sleeve, a pair of coniplementary tube sictions slidable in the sleeve, a cam member rotatable around the guide sleeve, cam followers engaging said car-,n member and individually connected to the `movable tube sections, said cam followers being oppositely arranged to slide said sections in opposite directions; substantially as described.

ll. In apparatus of the character described.I a hopper having converging` side walls and a bottom opening. a pair of complementary and segmental article 'guiding members communicating with the opening, and means iior causing a relative movement ot said guid ing members; substantially as described.

l2. In apparatus et the character described, a container tor articles, and means for delivering articles from the container in a stream, comprising a delivery tube section having slots with an intervening` extension, a movable tube section arranged in axial alignment With the iixed tube section and having extensions with an intervening slot, the extensions ot the tivo sections slidably fitting one another to form a substantially continuous article guide; substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai'iix my signature.

RAYMOND H. CRAMER. 

